Review: Thorndale “Lightning Spawn” [Grand Sounds Promotion]

Previously this year, I did an interview with the Dutch band Thorndale, and now I finally have some time to tell you about their debut album, Lightning Spawn.

This new band features experienced musicians, but first, let’s start with the sound and artwork. The notable artwork was created by the well-known Costin Chioreanu, and the album was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound.

Regarding the music, I’m going to unveil one thing to you – I’ve listened to this album around eight times, and each time I was full of emotions. I loved every song on Lightning Spawn; the music, the atmosphere, and everything else are just great. Musically, Thorndale did a decent mix of traditional doom metal with some classic heavy metal, accomplished by stoner rock and groovy vibes. All in all, I can say this is traditional groovy stoner doom metal, where the groove parts make their music sound fresher. The album also contains some famous guests; the track “Ain’t the End of My Rope” features the mighty Andy Larocque, who is a frequent guest in many bands but still brings some shining moments to the music.

In conclusion, Lightning Spawn is a powerful groove/stoner/doom metal album. It’s recommended for classic doom metal fans as well as for newbies just trying to dig into the genre.